


In My Darkest Hour

by A_c_e



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-07-28 09:21:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7634788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_c_e/pseuds/A_c_e
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"There are things men can do to one another that are sobering to the soul. It is one thing to reconcile these things with God, but another to square it with yourself."- Robert Leckie</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Code Talker

**Author's Note:**

> This is a continuation from "Shot In The Dark"
> 
>  
> 
> Also I appologise in advance! My computer is busted so...I hope to hell this turned out ok.  
> As always feel free to say hi on Tumblr!
> 
>  
> 
> Emma Ross and Mabashe (kazuhiradarling.tumblr.com)

The young soldier wiped his brow, waiting for the target practice to begin. He had already beaten his old time within a couple of weeks. Sure he wasn't as quick or accurate as the others, but he would try his damnedest.  
Hawk raised his rifle, making sure to check the distance between him and the targets. He almost had it lined up when a loud bang from a near by rifle made him jump. The target flipped over, a new one taking its place. But once again it was quickly knocked over before he could pull the trigger.  
Hawk sighed, opting to aim for a new target.  
"Big gun for a medic. You'd do much better with a Burkov or Geist P3....better yet...a water pistol."  
The other sniper jumped down from the rail, casually running a hand through his brown hair. Hawk recognized the man instantly. They had done a lot of combat deploys together, as they were part of the same unit.  
Hawk had never really spoken to him before, until now. But he was already regretting the encounter. The boy nodded in Jace's direction.  
"Thanks but, I'd rather try my hand at rifles. Besides Captain Ross said we should all be trained on heavier weaponry."  
The snipers eyes looked him over up and down, and Hawk could feel the patronizing stare almost drill into him.  
"Suit yourself" Jace shrugged, leaning against one of the crate, waiting for Hawk to begin.  
The young solider rolled his eyes, lining up for the next target. He fired, and the bullet sunk into the decoys shoulder. There was a sharp click behind him, as a match was lit. A small stream of smoke curling up behind the medic.  
"That the best you can do? Come on Hawk...give me a show."  
The medic whipped his head around, fixing Jace with a glare.  
"You'll get your ass beat if they catch you smoking again."  
"And what...I suppose a little snitch like you will rat me out? Calm down and focus. Try again, maybe work on getting a decent hit this time, huh?"  
Hawk clenched his jaw, and lined up his gun. He fired and the bullet sunk into the decoys stomach. 

The solider fired over and over, till he ran out of bullets. A slow clap applauded him in the background.  
"Congratulation, zero head shots and only 3 lethal wounds. You're a real sharp shooter, kiddo."  
"Don't you have anything better to do?" Hawk growled at him. "Maybe some girls to lure into your bed, or a brig cell to occupy?"  
Jace scoffed and walked over to him.  
"Hand me your rifle."  
"And why should I do that?-"  
Jace didn't wait, he grabbed the rifle from the boy and carefully inspected it. Turning a few of the switches on the scope he grimaced.  
"Give it back-"  
"Calm down will ya? See your first problem right here. You need a different scope equipped....here, you could use this too" he dug around in one of his pockets and withdrew a laser sight attachment. Hawk watched him sceptically, as Jace worked quickly on the rifle.  
Once finished, he brought it up to peer through the scope. After a few seconds of adjusting a few things he handed it back to Hawk.  
"There, that should help. You need to adjust your stance too. Try crouching, or laying down flat. These boys pack a punch, and you want to make sure you have a steady line of fire"  
Hawk held the rifle up, glancing through the scope. A little laser moved over the decoy in front of him, guiding his next shot. The solider crouched down, as he was told and fired. The bullet shot straight into the decoys neck. Jace grinned, and quickly put away his cigarette.  
"Nicely done"  
A faint smile appeared on Hawks lips, and the sniper smiled back at him.  
There was a loud buzzing sound coming from Jace's pocket, and he reached inside grabbing the iDroid.  
"Well, Hawky its been fun but...I'm late for a mission briefing. Adios, kid."  
Hawk nearly dropped the rifle, quickly gathering his things together.  
"Oh my god I didn't hear my alarm!! Jace she's gunna kill us-"  
"Us? No no...just you. I'm grabbing that jeep and getting my ass to Command platform. Hope you can run fast!"  
Jace called over his should as he took off. Hawk scrambled to pick up his gear and chased after him.  
"Hey wait! We are in the same unit!!"  
"Then run faster."  
"Oh for Christ sakes..." Hawk grumbled to himself, panting a little and ultimately regretting taking all these things to target practice.

\- -

 

The two of them bolted to the door, and Hawk quietly opened it.  
Captain Ross and Mabashe stood at the front of the room, as Commander Miller continued the briefing. He paused upon seeing the two soldiers, quickly sneak in.  
"Quinsley...Ashford. Glad you could both make time in your busy schedules for us."  
Some of the soldiers snickered and others held their breath, waiting to see what Kaz would do.  
Hawk nervously met the Commanders stare, and his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. He felt a hand gently come down on his shoulder.  
"Sorry we were late Commander. I was assisting Hawk down at target practice. We must have lost track of time. It won't happen again, sir."  
Kaz gazed at them coldly, and Hawk tried his best to maintain eye contact. Even with the thick aviators on, he could feel the eyes burning through him.  
"I'd like you both to stay after the briefing" he turned his attention back to the unit, and continued. "Our mission is to provide any backup The Boss may need. It is of upmost importance that we retrieve Code Talker. Our men are dying each day due to this infection. We must put it to an end. Prepare for deployment at 1800. Captain Ross, Ashford, and Hawk please have a seat. The rest of you are dismissed, make sure you are well rested and prepared."  
The unit shuffled out, and Kaz stared at the three soldiers remaining. Emma stood in front of the two men, watching them closely.  
"Target practice? This code for, sneaking out of Quiets cell or are you actually being serious here?"  
Jace fought back the urge to roll his eyes, and instead opted to smile sweetly at her.  
"Totally honest, Captain. Noticed that Hawk was having some problems with his rifle, I mearly gave him a few tips."  
Kaz walked over to Hawk, inspecting the rifle he had on his back.  
"That laser sight attachment isn't one of ours...where did it come from?"  
Hawk bit his lip and Jace spoke up.  
"It's one of mine sir. Thought it might be useful for him to use in practice."  
Emma gazed at him skeptically. This kindness was really uncharacteristic especially to other recruits.  
"You...gave it to him."  
"Yes ma'am."  
"Hawk is this true?"  
Hawk nodded towards them both.  
"Yes ma'am. He was really helpful, and honestly we both just got carried away shooting. I assure you it won't happen again. Ever. I apologize for wasting yours, and the Commanders time. I know how busy you both are, and our actions were inappropriate"  
Jace rolled his eyes, letting out a quiet sigh in his chair. Emma gave him a quick glare.  
"It will not happen again."  
Kaz nodded at the two, straightening his back and making his way to the door.  
"It had better not. Or you will both be on cleaning duty for a week. You are all dismissed. Please prepare for the mission."  
Hawk stood, giving Emma a salute and quickly exited the room.  
Jace rose up from his chair, hands in pockets and making his way out.  
"Hold it, Ashford."  
He turned his head, cocking an eyebrow.  
"Ma'am?"  
Emma's eyes narrowed, and Jace turned around to face her. A small smile spreading on his lips, as she approached.  
"Don't get cute. Hawk may not be able to see through your bullshit, but I can. You don't like a single person here...minus a few, but Hawk is certainly not one of them. What are you up to-"  
He held up his hands defensively.  
"Whoooaa, chill out Capt. I was being sincere. The kid was about to dislocate his shoulder with how he was shooting the thing. All I did was give him an old laser sight and a few tips. That's all...no tricks."  
"You don't do anything nice for free, Jace...I know you."  
"Well call it a change of heart" he tilted up her chin and winked "don't think too much on it. See you at 1800!"  
Emma groaned and shook her head, brushing some amber curls from her face. There were days when she wasn't sure if she was dealing with men, or 12 year old boys.

\- - -

“Well well…Captain Ross, showing up late? Must have been a very thorough ‘mission briefing’.”

Emma arched an eyebrow and smirked at the young soldier.  
“And here I was hoping all your frequent visits to the ‘med bay’ would make you less of an asshole.”

Jace chuckled and loaded up the helicopter with bags of equipment.  
“Mmm maybe so…but its doing wonders for my moral.” He winked and slung a large black rifle over his shoulder.

Emma rolled her eyes and pulled her hair back into a small bun.  
“Is everyone ready?”

Jace nodded, adjusting his gloves.

“Right. Board the chopper and head out in fifteen minutes.”

 

 

\- -

 

As the unit approached, Emma couldn’t help but feel slightly uneasy. So much depended on this mission being a success. If they failed, hundreds of men and women would die.

“Approaching Luwfa Valley.” The pilots voice announced over the speakers. 

“Ok everyone. We are strictly here for backup, which means no firing unless we get a call from The Boss. This needs to be handled as carefully as possible.”

“Prepare for landing.” The helicopter slowly began its decent to the ground. The large metal door opened, the soldiers began to file out and grabbed a couple of bags.

Jace gazed around cautiously, taking in the surroundings. He made his way to a nearby ledge, looking down at the dense forest in front of him.

“God this fog is terrible“ Emma grumbled as she made her way through a few of the trees. Everything had gone completely quiet, except for her combat team following behind her closely.  
“Ok everyone spread out. Let’s get intel on the Bosses location and move in“

They nodded and began to split up.

“Ok Ace…take a sniping point at the cliff looking over…Ace?”

His back was to her, the fog seemed to be a lot heavier around his body.  
“Jace, you ok?”

Before she could get any closer, he turned his head to the side to look at her. Glowing blue eyes staring back into Emma’s. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw four slender figures appear out of the mist. Long rifles formed in their arms, aimed and prepared for a fight.  
Emma watched at four red dots circled around his body. She quickly took cover behind a large rock.  
“Oh god…” she whispered.

“Everyone get down. Take out your thermals, and stay close to the ground” She glanced nervously at Jace, and shut her eyes for a brief moment. “Don’t let them spot you! We have four…possibly five to deal with…do not try to engage in combat!”

She silently loaded her gun, aiming the tranquilizer at her partners head. Taking deep steady breaths, she crawled from behind the rock.  


Glowing eyes stared at Emma, and Hawk raised his rifle. Bullets poured out causing the snipers body to almost freeze. Hawk lowered the rifle as Jace stumbled forward, blood slowly oozing from the wounds. Small blue particles emerged from the holes, surrounding and quickly sealing them back up. He straightened up, the glowing eyes narrowing at the medic.  
"Emma get down!!!" Hawk yelled, watching in horror as a large rifle formed in the snipers hands. The soldier raised his weapon again, shooting but Jace quickly dogged the bullets. His body disappearing and reappearing within dark clouds of smoke, constantly shifting spots. Jace quickly knocked the rifle from the boys hands, and grabbed him by the lapels. He shoved him over to where Emma crouched and quickly disappeared.  
Hawk groaned, but quickly scrambled to his feet. He quickly checked Emma over, then looks around them for any signs of the sniper.  
"What...the hell is going on?" His voice shook a little as he withdrew his scope. Hawk peered around, watching the dark figures dart around in the mist.  
It felt like a ton of lead had poured into Emma's gut. She had heard the cassettes about these things, remembered what Kaz had told her late one night.  
The Skulls.  
The horrible creatures that appeared in the mist, taking down everything in sight. It was a miracle that Kaz managed to escape.  
But, would they be as lucky?  
Emma clutched her breast pocket, where a picture of Catherine and Kaz was kept. Closing her eyes momentarily, she prayed that today would not be their last mission.  
"I promise baby...ill see you soon."  
Summoning up her courage, she withdrew her rifle and peered through the scope.  
Emma glanced over at Hawk, who was shakily checking his ammo and reloading his rifle. The poor kid was terrified, hell they all were.  
She spoke as calmly and quietly as she could into her headset.  
"Mabashe, is everyone ok?"  
Static buzzed through the earpiece but his voice eventually broke through.  
"Yes Captain we are all ok. We are making our way back to you-"  
"No. Stay hidden. Do not more from that forest. Hawk and I are going to try to take these things down."  
"And Ashford?"  
She paused, looking out into the dense mist. Crimson laser beams swinging menacingly over the valley.  
A loud bang echoed through the mist, a short cry of pain echoing after it.Emma pressed her back to the rock, clutching her gun tightly.  
"I...I don't know. Focus on keeping the others calm. These things are fast as hell, please be safe"  
Hawk scurried closer to her, peering out as well.  
"Hawk?"  
"Ma'am?"  
" As much as I don't want to we have to split up. Right now we are sitting ducks. Being spread out is our best defence against these things. Change your location repeatedly as they do"  
He paused,bitting his lip nervously. The iDroid in Emma's pocket began to vibrate but she quickly dismissed it for the moment. Placing her hand on the boys shoulder, she flashed him a brief reassuring smile.  
"Stay focused on the mission. We will pull through."  
They both jumped as several loud cracks of gun fire leaped through the air. The shots sounded closer this time, causing Hawk to raise his rifle.  
He gently nudged it over the rock and glanced through the scope. It was then he saw one of them. It's piercing eyes searching around. Suddenly a thunderous bang rang through Hawks ears, and he watched as the thing fell to the ground.  
Seconds later a cloud of dark smoke appeared next to the body and Jace emerged. He quickly scanned over the body, raising his rifle to attack the others.  
Hawk quickly focused in on another one of the enemy sniper, shooting it through the abdomen. The creature double over, giving Hawk the chance to shoot it in the head. Slowly the Skull dropped to the ground, and Hawk took the chance to dart over to another location.  
Just as he ducked behind a tree, a bullet whizzed past his shoulder. Taking in a deep breath, he loaded the rifle and aimed it at another one of the Skulls. Before he could fire, a bullet plunged into his arm. Hawk bit back a scream and fired the gun into the things chest. 

He took a deep shuddering breath, applying pressure to the wound with his hand. It was deep but didn't hit an artery. There was a loud rush of movement And suddenly one of the skulls appeared In Front of him. It's grotesque figure quickly approaching him, a large rusted machete in its hand. Hawk raised his rifle, a cry of terror escaping his body as it rose up into the air. Something hard connected with his body, pushing his body out of the way. The machete sawed across Jace's thigh, swung up into the air and punctured through his ribcage. The sniper gripped the blade, struggling to take it out. Hawk quickly grabbed his gun and shot the creature several times in the head. It's body eventually dropped lifelessly to the ground. Jace staggered, blood quickly seeping out of his chest as he finally pulled the machete out. The blue eyes flickered, their light becoming dull as he stumbled towards a tree. He slid to the ground, and growled a little as he held his hands to his side. Hawk ran over to him and dropped to his knees.  
"Jace!"  
The sniper looked up. eyelids fluttering,struggling to stay open. A red laser beam swept over them, and Hawk froze.  
"Kill it...."


	2. The Choice

“Jace? Stay with me. It’s going to be ok. A helicopter is on its way.”  
Half lidded eyes stared up at her. Crimson blood glistened, soaking both of their uniforms. Jace closed his eyes tightly, feeling the pain surge through his body. Emma gazed down at him, fighting back tears.  
She could feel his pulse begin to slow under her hands, his breathing become shallower.  
“No! no no…stay with me! God, please open your eyes” Emma let out a short sob, as she adjusted her hand, blood spilling everywhere.  
“Jace!”

A medic jumped down from the chopper, and ran towards them.  
“I need your help to keep him steady. We are going to lift him together on the count of three, ok?”  
Emma nodded, slipping and arm under his neck and the other across his back.  
“Ok. 1,2,3!”

 

\- - -

 

The chopper touched down gently, a group of medical staff came rushing forward with a stretcher.   
Emma opened the door, her hands still slick with blood and leaving streaks on the handle.  
One of the staff ran out to help her, but withdrew in panic.

“Commander Miller! Boss!”

“God damn it just get him to the med bay!” Emma yelled at the doctors.  
Kaz and Snake moved forward to come and see what the commotion was.  
Everything grew still as Snake approached Jace, gently touching the wound on his chest.  
The young soldier’s eyes snapped open, letting out a small growl of pain. Pale blue eyes glaring up at Venom.  
Venom stepped back, looking to Kaz, then back to Jace.  
“Emma! Get away from him, now!”  
“Kaz no…no we need to get him help! He’s going to die!” she pleaded, tears rolling down her cheeks.  
Snake looked at Emma as calmly as he could.  
“Lift his head for me…I’ll bring him in.”

 

\- - -

 

*2 years earlier. OKB Zero, Afghanistan*

 

“Ashford…I appreciate you coming down on such short notice. You did an outstanding job at the hospital.”  
“Thank you, sir.”  
“I called you here because, well frankly I could use a man like you. Such skills like yours shouldn’t go to waste”  
Skull Face nodded to a guard, who quickly left the room.  
“I’d like you to join one of my more elite units.”  
The soldier came back, handing Skull Face a large syringe.  
Jace’s eyes widened, his heart beat speeding up.  
“Sir?”  
Two XOF soldiers held him back while Skull Face approached the young man.  
“Hold still, this might hurt a bit.”  
Jace struggled in the grip of the two men. The guard on the left grabbed his hair, yanking his head back.  
Jace smirked up at him , kicking him hard in the knee. The guard let go immediately, crying out in pain as his knee was kicked backwards.  
Jace whirled around to punch the man on the right, but was quickly grabbed from behind. The man slammed his face off the corner of a table, Jace hit the ground hard. Blood soaked his face, as he shakily rose to his feet. A long jagged cut, running down his left eye.

“Get a hold of him! And for god’s sake, strap him down.”  
A group of soldiers ran up, grabbing Jace and roughly strapped him to a chair.  
Skull Face approached him slowly, smiling down at the boy.  
“You have a lot of spirit. I can see I made a good decision, choosing you to join us.”  
Jace blinked, looking up at the man.  
“Look, I appreciate the offer and all but-“  
“How badly would you want to see her again?”  
Jace froze, and Skull Face smiled coldly.  
“She…she’s not alive. No one could survive a fall like that.”  
“Oh but she did, my boy. Your sweet Marian is still out there. If you decide to go through with the process, I can give you all the information you need to find her”  
Blood trickled down his face, as Jace listened to the man wearily.  
“But this is where you need to decide. You could live the life you always wanted. You could have Marian back again. Fight with us…help create a better world”  
Skull Face tipped his hat.  
“But if you decline…you can join the rest of the corpses on the battle field. So…what will it be?”  
Jace swallowed hard. He could have it all back, what was one more sacrifice? She was worth it all.  
“I’ll do it.”  
“Good” Skull Face grinned, plunging the syringe into the base of his spine. “I’m sure the parasites will love their new host.”


	3. You're Wondering Now

Emma wrinkled her nose, groaning in protest as an object tickled her. She opened her eyes, blinking at the small dog plush that sat on her chest.  
A small smile forming on her lips, as she looked up to see Kaz sitting by her.

“Hey kiddo” He adjusted her blanket, making sure to keep her comfortable. “How are you feeling?”  
Emma winced, taking her time to sit up.  
“They managed to get the bullets out without much difficulty. You should be able to go in a few days. Mind you…you’ll have to be on crutches for a couple of weeks, at least until your wound heal a little more.”  
She sighed heavily. Well it was better than nothing. In all honesty, she was just thankful to be safe at Mother Base. After the Skull attack, they were all lucky to be alive.  
Emma looked to Kaz, her brows furrowed. Jace on the other hand…  
“Is…”she bit her lip “How is Ashford?”  
Kaz pursed his lips. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about that kid. Emma and the unit had been through enough as it was.  
“They managed to stop the bleeding. He’s being monitored in the ICU for a few hours, just till he’s stable again.”

 

\- - -

 

*Sitka, Alaska. 4 years earlier*

 

The sound of a phone ringing, woke up the man. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, and picked up the device.  
“Good morning. This is Ace Mechanic’s.”  
The man glanced over to his sleeping partner, who was passed out on his stomach. His face buried under a couple of the pillows on the couch.  
The man nudged him in the ribs with his foot. He held a hand over the phones receiver.   
“Jace…get up.”He muttered.  
A muffled groan came up from under the pillows.  
“Fuck off, Tom.”  
Tom rolled his eyes, hitting the Jace hard in the ass with a spare pillow.  
“Yes sir, he’ll have it done and ready for pick up…right, you got it. See you at 4pm” Tom hung up the phone, and glanced at the sleeping man.

“Alright fine…don’t get up. Guess I’ll use your precious baby to go grab coffee this morning. Would be such a shame too…considering you just finished waxing her.”  
Jace slowly sat up, giving Tom a small frown.  
“Alright…alright I’m up…what’s the rush?”  
“Client’s coming to pick up the old Ford today.You…don’t have it done do you?  
“Fuck…”The man grumbled, he ran a hand through his auburn hair. Picking his coveralls from off the floor, he clumsily put them on.  
He pulled the bottom half up his legs, tying the arm sleeves around his hips.  
Tom chuckled as the man tripped over a blanket, nearly falling over.  
“Awww…little Jacey hungover? “Tom laughed and ducked as a pillow came hurling towards his head.  
“Ever call me that again, and you’ll be stuck on paper work for a month.”

\- -

“Ah…there…”Jace adjusted the last bolt and wiped the sweat from his brow. The truck was almost finished. All it needed now was a pressure check to the tires.  
Them’s ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’ blasting noisily in the background.

“Hello? Anyone in here?”  
A young girl walked into the large garage, carrying an empty gas canister with her.  
Jace peeked out from under the truck, his face flushed seeing the pair of long lean legs approaching him.  
He quickly wiped the oil off his hands with a rag, and got out from under the truck.

“Oh!” She jumped a little, smiling weakly. “Sorry to bother you. I uh…well you see my car broke down several miles from here. I need to get it fixed.”  
Jace raised an eyebrow, and noticed the canister in her hand. He grinned playfully.  
“Broke down or she just ran out of gas?”  
The girl frowned and crossed her arms.  
“Are you going to help me or not? I’m sure that I can find another mechanic-“  
Jace waved his hand dismissively, and grabbed a set of keys from off a hook.  
“Relax. I’ll give you a hand. Hey, Tom?”

Tom poked his head out from behind one of the vehicles.  
“Yeah?”  
“I’ll be back in a bit, got a car that needs to be towed. The Ford is all done, just needs a pressure check.”   
Tom rolled his eyes, and glanced at the girl standing by his friend. His eyes looked her up and down, and he flushed. Tom looked to Jace, silently mouthing ‘Oh…my…god?’  
Jace winked, playfully saluting him as they left.  
They both got into the tow truck, the young girl remaining fairly silent.

“So” he started up the truck, and they made their way down the dirt road. “You got a name?”  
“Marian…you?”  
He shook her hand gently.  
“Jace.” He squinted, spying a car pulled over on the side of the road up ahead. “This it?”  
She nodded.

\- - 

Smoke rose gently from the engine and he covered his mouth, coughing a little.  
“Shit…looks like you need a new-“  
“Oil change?”  
Jace rubbed the back of this neck, and straightened up.  
“No…no…new engine.”  
Her face fell, and he could tell she was fairly upset.  
“Look…why don’t we load her up and take it back to the shop. I’ll be able to get a better idea of what to do for your car.”  
He grabbed the hook off the back of the tow truck, and attached it under the front of the car.  
The girl tugged at the bottom of her sleeve.  
“Do you know how much all this will cost?”  
“Uhh…depends. Engines aren’t exactly cheap these days”  
He glanced over to her and sighed.  
‘Smart, that’s exactly what she needs to hear.’ The thought, mentally cursing himself.  
“Marian, right?”  
She nodded, still not meeting his eyes.  
“Let me see what I can do. No promises, but I think I might have a spare engine for your car back at the shop. Might be able to cut down the price a bit for you.”  
Her face lit up, a small blush on her cheeks. She was adorable.

‘Oh hell, Ashford. What are you getting yourself into.’


	4. For Your Life

“The longer you stay silent, the longer youll be stuck in that chair”  
Kaz paced slowly around the chair, glaring down at the soldier before him.  
“That was a pretty foolish thing you did back there… we almost lost a bunch of men, no thanks to you.”  
Jace smiled coldly up at the commander.  
“Saved your girl tho, didn’t it?”  
Miller fumed, grabbing the young man by the front of his uniform.  
“Let’s be clear about something, shall we? You stay the hell away from Emma! I don’t want your type around her. Far as im concerned you’re nothing but a traitor and a liar. I should lock you and that- that-Quiet up for good.”  
Jace huffed away a strand of hair from his eyes, fixing Kaz with a wry smirk.  
“God…I don’t know how she stay with you. Instead of dealing with your problems like a real man, you lock it all away. You must be one hell of a father-“  
Cold hard stele hit Jace hard in the jaw, sending him crashing to the ground.  
“Ocelot! Put him solitary. One month should work.”

\- - - -

 

Small rocks crunched under Emma boots, as she crept around in the dark. A dull smokey mist surrounding her.  
"Hello?" Her voice echoing back to her through the darkness.  
Something whipped past her and she immediately dived to the ground. Emma reached around for her gun and found it, aiming it infront of her.

It was then she heard it. As the darkness faded she could hear the cries of men calling out before being shot to death. Bodies crashing to the floor as they helplessly tried to stop the oncoming assault of bullets.  
Emma's breath caught in her chest.  
"No....no no no.." She mumbled as she walked about the mass of corpses.  
She was back in that horrible moment in time...Rhodesia...before she joined the Knights.  
Emma dropped to her knees, clutching one of their hands.

The mist became denser around her, and she slowly stood glancing around nervously.  
Echoes of laugher gently rose around her, the happy sounds distorting into warped deep chuckles.  
Emma took a deep breath, frantically pointing her gun in the different directions of the laughter.  
Suddenly four dark figures appeared in the distance, their lean figures raising rifles up into the air.  
Emma closed her eyes tight for a moment, but upon opening them came face to face with a pair of glowing turquoise eyes.  
They burned into her skull, almost mocking her. A small grin spreading on the figures lips.  
The figures grabbed her, holding a machete tightly to her throat.  
"You're next, Emmy."  
It's voice hushed and dripping with malice.  
Emma screamed struggling to break out of its grasp.

\- -  
Emma shot up in bed, sweat glistening on her forehead. She hadn't had a decent nights sleep since they got back from Lufwa Valley. Her mind was plagued with terrifying memories from that day.  
How could he...  
She clenched her fists and began to get dressed.  
It's true he had saved them all that day, but what if he was just taking out the competition? Waiting to finish the job himself?  
Emma shook her head. No...he wasn't like that. He swore an oath when he joined Diamond Dogs, to never lay hands on a fellow soldier.  
She stood up, adjusting her uniform and set out to the Quarantine platform.

\- - - 

" Hold him down for me. "  
A guard advanced upon him, and kicked Jace hard in the ribs.  
"Fucking XOF scum, why havnt the parasites kille you off yet!?" The guard aimed a kick to his stomach, causing the young soldier to curl up. Fresh blood dripping from old wounds, he struggled to sit up.  
"Shit...Geko...someone's coming we better go."  
Geko nodded to the other guard, and they quickly filed out as Emma approached.  
"Morning Captain, Ross." They saluted cheerfully, and walked past her.

 

"Hey hold on."  
The two guards stopped, and turned around.  
"Yes, Captain?"  
"What exactly were your orders."  
Geko smiled politely back at Emma.  
"It's our job to make sure the recruits are fed and well looked after. Now if you'll excuse us ma'am. We have to finish our rounds."  
The two of them promptly left, and Emma rubber her forehead in frustration. It was way too early to deal with this bullshit.  
She walked over to cell 02 and opened it. The cell reeked of blood, she nearly gagged as she got closer to the bars.  
"They send you to finish the job, huh? " he sat back against the wall, and looked up to see Emma. Her lips parted and eyes saddened.  
"Jace are you-"  
"S'fine.... I mean hey...it's no luxury suite like I had back in the brig...."  
He coughed, covering his mouth and wiping away the blood with the back of his hand. "The guards are real friendly."  
Emma leaned against one of the walls, opposite to Jace. She couldn't help but still feel terrified of him. What happened that day...it was like a nightmare brought to life.  
There had been so much she wanted to ask, to say but. Now that she was here face to face with this man, her words escaped her. His gaze making her want to turn and run, for fear he'd turn into that thing that appeared in front of her.  
A monster.  
The same things that nearly took Kaz from her as well.  
Her mouth parted to speak, but she quickly closed it again. Jace quietly approached the bars, slowly moving towards her. Emma froze and began to back up.  
"That's close enough please"  
Jace stopped, averting her gaze.  
"I'll talk to Ocelot, and see if he can get you out of here and into the brig instead. At least there you'll be safe."  
"Emm-"  
"I'm sorry Jace I-"  
He reached out, gently grabbing her arm.  
"Emma."  
She quickly twisted out of his grip,and quickly ran out of the cell.  
He watched as she fled, her footsteps echoing through the hall.  
Jace turned, leaning against the wall and sliding down till he sat on be cold floor.  
Reaching into his shirt, he withdrew a long chain. A large copper bullet and a small silver ring glinted up at him in is hand. Fingers closed around it tightly, bringing it to his lips.

"Not much longer now"

\- - -

 

 

 

\- - -  
Location:Mother Base  
Intel File 0457  
Recording # 90876

(Phone clicks and beeps dialling the number. It rings twice)

Voice:yeah..it's me

(Pause)

Voice: no sir. It's going smooth as silk, he hasn't even caught on.

(pause)

Voice: nothing yet, they still can't find the source of the infection. 

(Brief pause)

Voice: yes I do. Target should be arriving at 1800 Thursday...

(Pause)

Voice: standard backup. I'll tail him as he goes.

(Pause)

Voice: and Code Talker...what should I do with him?

(Pause)  
Voice: Of course. A deal is a deal. It won’t be long now till they begin planning an attack, and when that moment comes…Il personally deliver the Boss right to you.

(pause)

Voice: yes sir, understood.

(The phone clicks and the line goes dead)


	5. For Better Or Worse

Jace lay in his cot, staring up at the cold grey ceiling. It wasn't his usual bed, but it sure beat solitary.  
The sound of men's voices arguing caught his attention and he turned his head to watch.

"You're still working for him, you son of a bitch. I heard your little talk-" the solider was suddenly grabbed by another man, and shoved roughly onto the floor. The man slammed the soldiers face into the ground, a sickening crack echoing through the brig.  
Blood slowly seeped into Ashford's cell, and he looked up at the man kneeling over the now still body. The man rose up, motioning over to one of the guards standing near.  
"Get him out of here will you? Sick fuck was trying to shank my buddy over here"  
The guard nodded opening the door, picking up the motionless body from the ground and taking him out.

The man grimaced, going to the sink to wash the blood off his hands. Turning his head, he smiled at Jace.  
"XOF's prized sniper, locked up behind bars. I heard about what happened, man are you ever lucky. You gotta be more careful tho"  
Jace turned his back on the man, sitting down on the small cot.  
"Which is why the man himself sent me here. Not just as your personal cleanup crew but, well I gotta make sure you follow through."  
Jace rested his head against the wall, pulling out a cigarette.  
"That's all fine but, what the fuck do you expect me to do about this?" The sniper motioned to the blood still on the floor. Winters grinned, walking over and leaning on the bars.  
"You're a good liar. Why not use this to your advantage? That cute little captain of yours would love to hear all about this.In the meantime, Jace...stay out of trouble. If you have any messages for our boss send them through me."

\- - - -

Ocelot inspected the cell carefully, looking at Jace.  
"It was an act of self defence?"  
"Yes sir. The recruit was making threats against Captain Ross, as well as her family. No way in hell was I going to stand by and watch that go down"  
Ocelot scanned the boy, blue eyes watching his moments.  
"The last thing I want is to see them hurt."  
Ocelot nodded at him and made his way to the cell door.  
"Let me talk to Miller...no promises but maybe you could use some fresh air. A good training session with your Unit would do you some good.In the meantime try to stay out of fights ok?"  
Jace nodded, giving Ocelot a brief salute.

\- - -

 

Combat training centre. Mother Base  
(2 weeks later)

B Unit stood in a long line, some struggling to stay awake while others chatter amongst themselves. The sound of footsteps caught their attention, and the men all saluted their captain as she walked in.  
Emma looked over the men, her hands folded behind her back as she made her way down the line.  
"Good morning. I hope you are all rested, because this morning we are working on our CQC"  
A few of the men groaned, and Maba cast them a stern glare. Emma smiled a little and nodded towards him.  
"I want you all to pair up please. Maba...you're with Ashford. He needs a lot of work on his close combat skills. Hawk? You're training with me today."  
The corner of Jace's mouth twitched, and he looked over at the large man. Hawk nearly faltered in his stance, and his shakily saluted Emma.  
"Yes, Ma'am."  
Mabashe strolled over to the sniper, arms folded across his wide chest. His eyes narrowed and Jace quietly got into a defensive stance. Adjusting his stance as well, Maba glared at the soldier.  
"Begin!"  
Emma blew her whistle and the men began to practice.  
Maba swung and Jace quickly ducked out of the way but he wasn't fast enough. The man pulled him into a choke hold.  
"Don't think I've forgotten about your little incident at the Valley. You may be back in the unit but you have a long way to go if you want our trust back"  
Jace squirmed and Maba let him go, preparing for a strike. The soldier turned, grabbing a quick drink of water.  
"Come on. Show me that you can actually fight. Didn't your father ever teach you anything useful? Besides sniping?"  
The boys fist clenched, green eyes narrowing and he turned around quickly lunging at the man.  
Maba deflected the hit, grabbed his wrist and yanked it behind his back.  
"Good to see some spirit back in you. Come on, Ashford. Try a little." He had barley released his wrist, and Jace turned around his knee connected with Maba's stomach.

Hawk watched them and Emma snapped her fingers close to his face.  
"Hawk? You with me?"  
The medic blinked and turned his attention back to his captain.  
"Yes ma'am. Sorry ma'am I-"  
She waved her hand dismissively.  
"Hawk...Brett, it's ok. Now are you ready? Get into stance. I want you to show me what you already know."  
The boys face flushed hearing her use his real name. Taking a slow deep breath he got into stance, waiting till she was ready. Hawk felt his body freeze, there was no way in hell he wanted to spar with his captain. He couldn't do this, there was no damn way he would ever-  
In a matter of seconds Emma grabbed the boy, flinging him onto his back. Hawk landed with a thud, blinking up at her. The Captain stood above him and held out her hand, which he took and brought himself up.

"Oh Hawk come on...you don't need to go easy on me. I need to know what you can do so we can use it out in the field."  
"Yes ma'am. I'm sorry I-"  
She smiled and tussled his blonde locks.  
"And relax a bit. I'm not going to rip your head off."  
"Yes Captain."  
Emma quickly looked up to see Maba getting back into position, and delivering a final hard kick to the side of his ribs. Jace flew back, landing on the ground.He rolled over onto his side, quickly putting a hand to his mouth. The sniper rose shakily to his feet and booked it out of the room.  
"Ashford! Training isn't over yet!"  
The solider ignored him, running to the railing and he clung to it tightly.  
He could feel his head spinning and a horrible nausea course through him. Chest burning he coughed hard, and a felt something wet hit the inside of his palm. Jace looked down at the crimson liquid.  
"Shit...."  
"Ashford, you can't just run out during training."  
Emma approached him, a hand on her hip as she glared at him. He shoved his hand in his pocket, quickly wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.  
"Apologies, Captain. I needed some fresh air. Maba hits like a damn freight train" His chest felt like it was on fire, he coughed and quickly covered his mouth. The sharp metallic taste coating the inside of his mouth. He quickly walked past her, making his way down the stairs. Emma reached out grabbing his shoulder.  
"Whoa wait are you ok?"  
"Mmm fine. I gotta go. Think he might have busted open a few stitches."  
He continued, making his way to the medical platform. There was no way he could continue training like this.

As he approached the platform he could hear the familiar humming. Jace smiled a little, he couldn't wait to see that face if only for a few moments.  
"Ah that's it."  
The soldiers brows furrowed as he heard a voice coming from her cell.  
"The fuck...?" He whispered to himself and he stopped.  
Quiets small form was wrapped tightly around another man, his bright red arm caressing her thigh. She moaned softly and ground her hips against his.  
White hot anger boiled up inside him, as he quickly turned to exit. His hand grazed over the gun in his side pocket, and green eyes narrowed.  
Sure it wasn't as planned, but Skull Face never mentioned when he wanted Venom dead. He gazed back at the cell, fingers wrapping tightly over the grip.  
Something quickly grabbed the back of his shirt, and his wrist.  
"Easy, easy. Calm down, son. You don't wanna be blowing up our little operation, do you?"  
The man gently turned Jace around, leading him to a more secluded part of the platform. Once out of sight, the man passed him a cigarette, zippo snapping open with a click. Jace placed it between his lips and the flame from the lighter lit up the tip.  
The sniper inhaled deeply, closing his eyes and forcing himself to relax. Thankfully the smoke helped clear the metallic bloody taste in his mouth.  
The man beside him tucked the cigarettes back into his pocket, lighting one up for himself.  
"You need to be more cautious out there,boy. Being tossed into the brig a few times isn't much. But going at the Boss, guns blazin? You're askin for it. We are outnumbered here, I can't save your ass if you strike now-"  
"Cut the crap, Winters. Since when did you give a damn? Besides, deals a deal right? The sooner I kill him, the sooner she get her freedom back."  
Winters sighed heavily, tossing the cigarette into the water.  
"Weather you like it or not I'm still your XO. So yes...your idiotic rebellious little actions do effect me. We need to blend in. I know what you saw today dosnt exactly help-"  
"Oh fuck off..."  
"Take a stroll, clear your head. Come on."  
The older man patted him on the back, and Jace rolled his eyes. He took a long drag on the cigarette and coughed roughly.  
Jace froze as black spots began to dance in front of his eyes.  
"Shit.." he grumbled and grabbed hold of the rail.  
"Ashford? You alright son?"  
"I-" he swayed and his body went cold as he collapsed to the ground. Eyes rolling back a little as he felt his chest seize up.  
"Jace!! Medic!?! Someone get down here now!!"

\- - - -

Emma Ross and Mabashe belong to: @Leia-Scott (Kazuhiradarling)


	6. Cloak and Dagger

"So I rush to your side, like the oncoming tide.."   
The soft singing creeping into his dreams, causing the man to stir and eventually wake up. Jace blinked, eyes focusing on the young girl sitting on a chair by his bed. Her face was turned to the side, gazing out the small window on the wall. Soft ember curls framing her face.  
'That voice....'  
His green eyes widened. It was impossible, there was no way she was the same woman. Emma glanced and him and chuckled.  
"Evening.Did I startle you? Glad to finally see you awake. You gave us all a bit of a scare.how are you feeling?"  
The sniper cleared his throat, averting his gaze.  
"Mmm fine. Probably just stress."  
She looked him over skeptically.  
"Stress causes you to cough up blood? Maybe you should give up all that smoking-"  
" I'm fine Emm" Jace slowly got up, shakily standing on the cold floor. "Speaking of...don't happen to have a few Lucky Strikes on you, do ya?"  
Emma frowned, placing a hand on her hip.  
"I do"  
A tall solider walked into the room, pulling a small carton from his breast pocket. He tossed it to the sniper and made his way over.  
"Thank you for checking up on him , Captain. He seems better now. I uh...don't suppose you'd mind giving us a moment? I'm sure you have a busy schedule to keep and I'd hate to keep you any longer."  
Emma's eyebrows furrowed but she nodded, giving Jace a small smile.  
"Go to bed early tonight after the briefing. We have a early deployment tomorrow." She patted his shoulder and left the room.   
The man stared down at the sniper, blue eyes narrowed.  
"Cute Jace...real nice. This all part of your plan? By the way...what is your next course of action here? You're suppose to be taking Big Boss out, and you haven't done a damn thing."  
Jace scoffed and rolled his eyes, while slipping on a coat.   
"Relax will ya? We have plenty of time-"  
The older man shoved him back onto the bed.  
"No...Boy that's where you're wrong. We don't have a lot of time, you need to finish this now. But apparently I'll have to do this myself."  
"It's not your job. Besides...you need me-"  
"Need you?" Winters chuckled darkly, grabbing the sniper by the collar of his shirt. "I never needed you.You always did have a flair for disobedience....which is why the boss had me brought to Mother Base. Your job was to take out Big Boss.....how many times have you tried? 4? Some sniper you are. And even with all your little..." he grabbed the solider chin, roughly tilting it up "powers. Face it Ashford your time is up. Your little wife is gunna die along side Big Boss...and as for the Captain? She's going to go to.  
For a while I thought you really had it in you...seeing how you changed in that compound...how" Winters grinned, eyes gleaming "you nearly took the Captains baby right out of her. Face it...you've become weak. You're not a solider...you're just a weapon...and now your time is up. So what if you managed to kill him? It wouldn't save Marian. She's going to die...and you will too-"  
Jace quickly kicked the man in the knee, snapping it backwards. He grabbed him, shoving him against the wall.Grabbing the dagger from his side pocket, he brought it to the mans throat.   
The blade pressed right against his skin, blood trickling out. Winters stared down at him, a small smile on his lips.  
The blade plunged into the mans neck, blood squirting everywhere.  
He waited till the man stopped moving, and let the body collapse to the ground.   
Jace quickly wrapped up the body in a spare sheet from the bed, and carefully carried it out.

\- - - 

The salty breeze from the ocean hit his face and he crept down the stairs. He was very thankful the platform was quiet tonight.  
Heaving the body over the railing, he let it drop into the dark waters below.He took out a cloth from his side pocket, quickly wiping off the blood on the platform.  
"Ace?"  
He tossed the cloth into the water and turned around. Hawk made his way down the set of stairs, a black beret sitting neatly on his head.  
Seems the kid had been promoted. Jace grimaced a little, nodding at him.  
"What?"  
"We have a briefing in an hour...thought I should let you know, since you typically ignore your phone."  
Jace felt the urge to roll his eyes. Seriously this kid was going to give him a lecture now?  
"Don't sweat it, I'll be there"  
Hawk approached him, gently leaning on the bars and looking out to the horizon. Bright blue eyes glanced at the sniper momentarily.   
"What? Is there something you needed? Not to be rude kid, but I'm a little busy at the moment. Have a few jobs I need to do before the briefing. So if you don't mind..." Jace turned his back on the boy and made his way to the stairs.   
"I just came to see how you were. Emma said you were coughing up blood....If you wanted I could help y-"  
"Why don't you focus on yourself, alright?"  
"I know but-"  
"But what?" His green eyes narrowed, giving him a cold stare. Hawk looked down and sighed.  
"I know I'm just some Medic...but I am part of your Unit. It's my job to see everyone is ok. We look out for one another."  
"Oh please, spare me the speech. I'll see you at the briefing..."  
Hawk watched him go,and he mentally kicked himself. That did not go as he planned.


	7. Compound 02

1979 Ngomahuru, Rhodesia 

 

"Again boy, and this time I want you to add 10 more."  
The voice barked into the snipers ear, and he grit his teeth. Focusing all his concentration, he hoisted himself up for another round of pull-ups. His muscles burned and the weights tied to his legs certainly didn't help.  
They had been at this for hours, the hot African sun beating down upon them.  
Jace could feel the muscles in his body begin to shake, begging him to stop for a moments rest. He let out a small frustrated growl and lifted up again and again.  
"Christ I've seen children do better than you. Come on Ashford!"  
The sniper bit back any comment he had and continued the set of pull-ups. Pain coursed down his arms, one of the muscles seizing up in a cramp. He lost his grip and dropped to the ground, the weights knocking into his legs.  
"Fuck..." he groaned and stood up. A strong hand grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him up.  
"Don't tell me you're getting weak on me..are you boy? Try" The man shoved him roughly back to the bar "again!"

 

"Damnit." He dropped gently to the ground, beads of sweat trailing down his face and back. Rubbing a hand over his tired eyes, he glanced at his watch.  
07:00  
Fuck. He quickly grabbed his gear off the ground and headed inside the compound. Skirting around a few of the soldiers he made his way to his room. Carelessly tossing his bag on the ground, he stripped off the work out clothes.   
Despite the brutal training, there was one thing that kept him going. Fingers trailed down a necklace he kept wrapped around his neck, eventually landing on a small silver ring.   
Marian.  
A small grin spread across his lips and he quickly pulled on a fresh pair of BDU's. It had been several weeks since they had last talked, and he missed her voice dearly.  
He nearly ran into one of the guards, in his rush to get to a telephone. Dialling the number, he waited and tried to hold back his excitement. Running a hand through his hair, he listened patiently for her to pick up.  
"Hello?"  
That sweet voice filled his ears and he couldn't hold back the large grin on his face.   
"Hey baby girl, miss me?"  
"Oh hey."  
Jace paused, the grin turning into a look of worry.  
"Babe? Everything ok? Look I'm sorry I haven't had time to call. This place is a damn zoo, and the commander has us working our asses off-"  
"This isn't really a good time to talk I-" her voice wavered, a small sob escaped her lips. "We-we lost the baby...."  
She continued to talk but her words seem to dissipate. Jace stood there frozen, his body slowly growing numb.  
"Ace? God I'm so sorry to have to tell you like this. I-I have to go the doctor is on his way. I love you."   
The phone whent dead and it slipped from the mans hand.  
"Ashford"  
Uneasiness washed over the man, as he hung up the telephone. He turned his attention to the man speaking to him, hand snapping up in a brief salute.  
The mans pale blue eyes narrowed, inspecting him carefully. "At ease boy. Everything alright?"  
Jace nodded, mind still wandering back to Marians words. Tears fought their way to the surface but he quickly wiped his eyes.  
"Yes Commander.Just a little tired is all."  
"Mmmm" The older man wrapped his arm around his shoulder, turning him in another direction. "Ashford you remember the girl we brought here a week ago?"  
Ah yes, her.   
"What about her?"  
The older man grinned, leading the boy slowly down the hall.  
"I need you and Johnson to bring her to room 48. Make sure you take special care of her, she is pregnant after all. "  
The snipers eyes narrowed and he nodded at the man.   
"Yes Commander."

 

He made his way to the room the girl occupied, nodding to the guard at her door. The guard withdrew some keys, opening the cell and Jace quietly stepped inside. He stared down at the auburn haired girl, who appeared to be sleeping on the cold ground. Something caused her to stir and her hand drifted to her belly.   
His mind wandered back to the phone call with Marian. The thought of her home alone, knowing that the baby she once carried was now gone. Something washed over him as he stared down at the girl.   
"Get up"  
His voice cut sharply through the air and her body jumped a little. She slowly sat up, eyes opening. Her hand covered her stomach and she glanced up at him.   
He crouched down, withdrawing his gun and tilted up her chin.  
"I said...get...up."  
She swallowed hard and eyes looking up at him pleadingly.   
"You don't have to do this, I just-"  
"You're right, I don't have to. But it's part of my job. Now get your ass up."  
A glint of silver caught her attention, and she stared at the ring on his necklace.   
"You're married? Does your wife know-"  
The side of the gun slammed against her jaw and she cried out.   
"Shut up. Get up off the floor now!"  
The girl cradled her stomach, tears sliding down her cheeks.   
"Does it make you feel like a man treating me like this? Is this how you treat your wife?"  
Anger flared up inside of him and he slowly stood up.  
"You can hurt me all you want, you piece of shit. I told you before I don't know anything! Ah!-"  
She fell back as a boot connected with her ribs, pain coursing through her body causing her to see spots.  
"You really think that baby is going to live?" He growled menacingly "you'll both die in here if you don't start talking..now get up."  
He grabbed her off the ground nodding to the guard in the doorway. The girl fought against them and the other guard quickly cuffed her wrists. Her brown eyes made contact with the snipers, her gaze burning into him.

\- - - -

Mother Base 1984

Smoke lazily curled up from the cigarette, disappearing into the air around him. He glanced at Emma who sleepily stepped out of the door way.   
"You coming? I need my sniper in to hear the briefing. Or would you rather me tell Miller you're out here smoking again." A little smirk formed on her delicate lips. Auburn curls framing her face.  
"Yeah, save me a seat will ya?"


	8. I Can't Quit You Baby

Sitka, Alaska 1977

\- - - 

 

They sat close together in the bright new Impala.  
Rain splashing off the hood of the car, rolling down the windshield.  
Marian sat up on her knees.Her lips softly grazed his, her tongue gently running against his lower lip.   
He sighed into the kiss, she was driving him crazy.  
His hand began to slid up her thigh but she quickly grabbed his wrist.  
"Ah ah ah....simmer down there tiger. Not yet"  
He smirked, deepening the kiss. His tongue massaging hers as they danced around.   
Marian placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back a little and she giggled.  
"Jace...come on...I said no."  
He cocked an eyebrow, mocking her with a small pout.  
"Awww come on baby...please? Just...one last kiss?"  
She rolled her eyes and shook her head.  
"Can you stop focusing on getting into my pants and listen? I just wanna wait a little. You don't exactly have a spotless record buster. Sitkas little heart breaker."  
She rubbed her nose against his and he sighed a little.  
"Oh thanks so you think I'm a creep?"  
Marian tussled his short brown hair, planting small kisses all over him. She lingered on his lips, and he leaned forward gently nipping her lower lip.  
A small giggle from her parted mouth, as she moved back.  
"No I never said that. I just think we are moving a little too fast."  
His fingers traced the silk collar of her shirt, smiling to himself as he could see her shiver. He leaned in to give her a final kiss on her forehead.  
"Alright I can take a hint...so, are you free this weekend?"  
"Well..." she paused, lips curling into a grin "yes, I am. What did you have in mind?"  
"How does a date sound?"  
Marian placed a kiss on his cheek, opening the door behind her.  
"I would love to. "

\- - -

 

"Hey mind grabbing my wallet? Think I left it on the seat in the Ford."  
Marian nodded and opened the car door, looking around for the leather wallet. Her eyes spied something red, and her face flushed as she grabbed the items.   
'That little shit...' She thought as she glared at the red silk panties.  
"Ha! Never mind...was in my jeans. Ready to go baby?"  
She turned pressing the red garments to his chest.  
"Oh I am...just not with you. Might wanna return these to whatever girl you hooked up with last night."  
She turned and began to walk off.  
"I....fuck..Marian wait!"  
"Go to hell, Ashford. Call me when you wanna grow up and be a real man. "

\- - - 

Jace groaned as he sat up on the couch. Drinking till 2 in the morning was a big mistake. He tossed on a pair of jeans, and fished out the keys for the shop.

The door was already open, sunlight glaring into garage.  
"Tom? The hell are you doing up so early. Your shift isn't till noo-"  
He stopped.  
Marian was standing by Tom, she was laughing at some kinda joke he has said.   
Jealousy began to flare up inside him.

 

Tom smiled at his friend, giving him a brief wave. Jace glanced at him, and lit up a cigarette and walked past him.  
The other man rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.   
"It uh, was nice catching up Marian but there's a car that needs to be towed. See ya around."  
She nodded waving bye to Tom. Marian peered over at Jace, who's legs and boots were poking out the bottom of a car as he worked.  
He glared up at the rusted axel, slowly dismantling it from the vehicle.  
There was a tug on his pants, and he was wheeled out from under the car.  
Jace looked up into Marian's smug face.  
"You going to sit and pout, or can we talk?"  
He pulled the cigarette from his mouth, mulling over his words before speaking.  
"Look...I'm sorry. I just..."  
She raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms.  
"Ok I don't really have an excuse. I fucked up. You caught me. I'm just..."  
"Just?"  
He looked away momentarily, a small blush forming on his cheeks.   
"Girls like you...never really give guys like me a chance. And truth be told, the thought of trying to get serious with a girl like you terrifies me. But....Id be willing to actually try if you give me another shot?"  
She looked him over, hand resting on her hip in annoyance.  
"One last shot."

Marian grinned as he turned up the radio, Led Zepplins 'I Can't Quit You Baby' filling the whole shop. He checked to make sure the shop was empty, before closing the blinds. Dull neon light illuminating the garage.  
Jace motioned her over with a finger, and she complied taking his hand.  
He pulled her close, gently dancing them around in a slow circle. Jace titled her back momentarily, then lifted her back up.  
She flushed a little as they slowly danced.

'Said you know I love you baby  
My love for you I could never hide  
Oh, you know I love you baby  
My love for you I could never hide  
Oh when I feel you near me little girl  
I know you are my one desire'

He spun her round so he was holding her from behind, placing a gentle kiss upon her cheek then her jawline.   
"You trying to seduce me, Ashford?"  
He didn't reply, spinning her back around so he could kiss her soft lips as they continued to dance.  
"Well now that depends...am I allowed to? No offence but last time I just touched your knee and you slapped my hand."  
Marian giggled, kissing him and gently tugged at his lower lip with her teeth.  
"That was a month ago...when you were still sleeping around. I had to know you could behave first"  
He raised his eyebrows, hands making their way down her sides till they reached her lower back.  
"But...now that I know you can be good, and listen" she rubbed her nose against his. "Then yes...show me all your charms."  
"Oh...with pleasure.." His hands slipped down lower, giving her butt a firm grab before twirling her around so her back was to him. Jace pulled her close, her head falling back onto his shoulder as he kissed down her neck. The smell of her perfume making him dizzy as his hands trailed down her stomach. Gliding up her thighs, pushing her skirt further up as he whent. Finger tips teased the edge of her panties, softly nipping her shoulder.  
A blissful moan escaped her lips, as he grabbed her hips grinding against her. Jace dipped her back, looking down at her with lust filled eyes as he suddenly scooped her up. He carried her to his bike, setting her down on the seat.


	9. In My Darkest Hour

OKB Zero   
September 17th, 1984

 

'Distance... 322m out.Bullet speed, 850 m/s. Rate of fire, 10 rds...'   
the scope is adjusted, focusing in on a single target. The sniper momentarily glanced up, watching as a small flag flapped lazily in the wind. He carefully twisted a suppressor to the end of the barrel, then placed the rifle back into position. Everything was set.  
The only thing left to do was wait for that window. 

His gaze shifted to the patch on his right shoulder, finger tips tracing over the emblem.  
Diamond Dogs...Mother Base. The place he had called home for the past few months.   
All the soldiers he had met, the unit....

'All of them. Every single one.'He lit the end of the cigarette, the small flame burning the tobacco. Green eyes gazed back to the rock wall, where some of the unit sat with weapons ready. He exhaled, a trail of smoke leaving his lips.  
'They're nothing to you...It's just another job, another mission. People come and go, all that matters is the objective'

Emma glanced up to his direction, the wind tossing a few of her amber curls about. An icy numbness swept through his veins.   
'She's...nothing...she's still the same girl from Rhodesia. Nothing has changed-'  
Her lips formed into a smile, and all the air escaped his lungs. The filter burned his fingers and he pulled away quickly, letting it fall to the ground. Eyes closed tight and he rested his brow against the rifles black stock.  
His mind drifted back to the moments they shared. Late  
nights on the base, listening to old cassettes. Simpler times...better days. 

The iDroid buzzed and his gaze shifted to the figure of Big Boss, making his way through the first gate.   
The snipers eyes narrowed, anger burning deep within him.   
Finger brushing over the trigger as he inhaled slowly, the markers on the scope positioned over the mans heart.

'Time to take back all you took from me, you son of a bitch'  
Jace closed his eyes for a moment, left hand wrapping around the ring on his necklace. He held his hand close to his shoulder, keeping the stock of the gun steady.  
"I love you...Marie."

The ring pressed against his lips and his eyes opened.  
Big Boss turned around, scanning the area before moving again.   
The trigger pulled back, and a bullet zipper through the barrel and out.  
Flying  
Hurtling through the air, ripping through the leather sneaking suit as it hit its target.

Snake glanced up, eyes locking with the small glint on the black suppressor.  
Jace watched him carefully, reloaded and fired a second bullet into the mans chest cavity, causing Snake to dive to the ground.

' farewell... Boss'


End file.
